AO has surpassed the  milestone of 10 million household appliances processed at its state-of-the-art recycling plant.

If all the appliances recycled at the facility were laid end-to-end, it is estimated that they would stretch around 11,000km – roughly the distance from AO’s recycling facility in Telford, Shropshire, to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

To mark the occasion, AO wrapped the 10 millionth appliance to pass through the site – a washing machine – in gold.

The Bolton-headquartered company is the only UK electrical retailer to wholly own its own recycling plant, which has been operational since 2016.

Every year, around half a million fridges are ‘fed’ to AO’s 80-tonne fridge crushing machine Bertha. More than 500,000 washing machines, tumble dryers and cookers also pass through the site annually – these are recycled or skilfully refurbished on site, with large quantities going on to be sold via trade and outlet shops as part of AO’s commitment to reuse and repurpose.

Robert Sant, group recycling director at AO, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have processed 10 million appliances in a decade.

“It’s been amazing to watch our operation grow over the past ten years and this feels like a really significant milestone.”

Output from Bertha makes its way to AO’s nearby plastics recycling and refining facility, which uses state-of-the-art electrostatic and sink-float technology to separate and sort around 10,000 tonnes of fridge plastic annually.

Having invested £2 million into an extruder last year, AO is able to produce high-quality HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene) and ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) pellets, which can be used to make a wide range of new products.

Plastic processed at the site is currently turned into bathroom extractor fans, sold under well-known brands, including Manrose and Vent-Axia. There are also plans to expand into new areas such as floorcare and broadband products in the future.

Mr Sant added: “Investing millions of pounds in an extruder last year marked another big step forward in our circular capabilities, as it allows us to create more substantial, longer-lasting products.

“Our ‘North Star’, as it were, is still to take plastic from an old fridge, process it and feed it into a new one. We’re still not quite there yet but that goal gets closer all the time.”

AO customers can add the Remove & Recycle service at checkout when buying a new appliance; this is included at no extra cost for AO Members.

For anyone not buying a new appliance, AO’s standalone Collect & Recycle service also lets customers book a collection of their old appliance on its own, from just £30.

To see how the process works, you can watch a short video called ‘Recycling the AO Way here.

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